Wanis International celebrates 60 years of growth: From small shop to global leader

To mark the company’s 60th anniversary, Wanis International Foods recently celebrated the company’s remarkable growth from a small grocery shop to Europe's leading distributor of world foods.

The Wanis's 60th anniversary star-studded event, hosted on Wednesday (25) at the luxurious The Londoner Hotel, saw attendance from numerous several industry stakeholders ranging from suppliers from different countries to decades old clients.

In commemoration of its sixth decade in business, Wanis International Foods also announced grants of £10,000 each to six different charities.

Welcoming the guests at the event, Mrs Wadhwani said, “From 1964 until today, our family has grown from my late husband and myself to over 200 people in the company. What an incredible journey it has been! I would have never dreamt that this business would have grown so big.”

The Wanis board of director’s celebrate (From left to right) Kapil Wadhwani, Adam Reader, George Phillips, Sanjay Wadhwani and Alam Ameer.

Sanjay Wadhwani, who now heads up the business with a board of directors, reflected, “This milestone is indeed a significant achievement, representing not only the hard work and dedication of our team but also serving as a guiding light for what lies ahead.

"We can view this moment as both a reflection of our past and an inspiration for our vibrant future.”

The event began with a tribute to the six-decade journey of Wanis International Foods, detailing how the company's founder, Tulsidas Wadhwani, affectionately known as Mr. Wani, started the business in 1964 from a small grocery shop in North London.

Walking down the memory lane, Kapil Wadhwani, director at Wanis International Foods, said, “60 years ago, in 1964, our father, Tulsidas Wadhwani, was inspired by the birth of his first child, our big sister, to lay the foundation of what would eventually become Wanis International Foods. He believed she was his lucky charm, as her name Nityalaxmi literally means “Goddess of Wealth and Prosperity.”

From a small shop on Holloway Road with a simple red delivery van, he started the journey to bring the authentic tastes of Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean to the UK, Kapil said, adding that his father’s vision was to create a bridge between cultures, allowing communities to connect and stay strong with their roots through food.

Attendees were told how Wanis quickly gained a reputation as the go-to place for hard-to-find food items. However, the business faced challenges, including industrial strikes and power cuts, which significantly impacted operations as it primarily dealt with fresh products, reliant on refrigeration.

An ariel artist entertains guests

This was when Mr. Wani, on the advice of Mrs. Wadhwani, transitioned from fresh foods to more dependable packaged goods, a strategic move that drew more independent entrepreneurs to Wanis.

Sanjay noted, “Our mother’s foresight and adaptability laid the foundation for our expansion into packaged foods, a decision that was instrumental to our growth.

"Today, we stand as a testament to my parent’s vision, having grown into the UK’s leading wholesaler of World Foods, serving thousands of customers across the nation and beyond."

Guests were treated to spectacular food, drinks and entertainment at Leicester Square’s Londoner Hotel.

Under the leadership of Sanjay and Kapil, along with continued guidance from their mother, the company today has grown and expanded into a £140 million turnover business, supplying to UK-wide supermarkets, wholesalers, independent retailers and online stores, as well as restaurants, takeaways and caterers of all sizes.

Today, Wanis distributes over 4,000 products to 45 countries, exclusively representing numerous heritage brands in the UK.

Speaking at the event, Adam Reader, Finance Director at Wanis, said, “Over 25 per cent of our staff have been with us for more than 10 years. That's more than 50 people within our family. Within our family, we have 29 nationalities, and we speak over 25 different languages."

Over the years, Wanis has donated its time and money to charities and initiatives across the globe.

Reader said, “We've always looked to support initiatives in the communities where our food is grown or produced from building orphanages in Ghana, donating laptops to schools in Jamaica, installing water pumps in Pakistan, the Guru Nanak home for children in India and closer to home, helping the NHS increase blood donations during the pandemic and supporting many food banks.”

As part of its 60th-anniversary celebrations, the company announced £10,000 grants to six charities. Recipients include TikTok sensation Giovino McLean, known for empowering clients with disabilities, Little Lady Lock, the Malaria Foundation, White Mile Primary School in Jamaica, and Guru Nanak Home in India.

The evening culminated in a toast to the next 60 years, celebrating the company’s diverse team and strong community ties.

Looking ahead, Sanjay remarked, “As we look to the future, we are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. The world is changing - and so are we. The recent expansion to our Rainham depot is just the beginning.

“We are committed to embracing innovation by expanding our product lines and enhancing our service to meet the evolving needs of our diverse customer base and broadening our reach and fostering ever deeper connections with more communities.

“Our mission remains clear- to deliver adventurous and exciting foods from around the world to dining tables across the UK and beyond. But, our journey is not solitary; it involves collaboration with customers, suppliers, service providers, third party stakeholders and more.”

More on Wanis International Foods' journey.